Rectangular wire cages are a favorite among pet owners because they are relatively easy to clean and permit a high degree of visibility of and for the cage occupant. Waste from the enclosed pet passes easily through the bottom of a wire cage so that the cage is kept clean, and various types of feeding and amusement devices may be easily affixed to the inside of the cage.
Most animal cages have a sliding or swing door permitting ingress and egress of the enclosed animal. Typically, the wire doors are small relative to the overall size of the cage, making it difficult to access the animal within the enclosure. Removal of the animal from the cage becomes an opportunity for the animal to be injured if the animal thrashes about while attempting its extraction or while attempting to place it within the cage.
Most pet cages include a waste tray which is permanently incorporated into the bottom of the animal cage or, alternatively, the cage is without an integral tray and the animal waste simply passes through the cage interstices onto a waste platform, such as newspaper or other absorbent material. However, most animals prefer to have nesting material for sleeping, resting, and rearing of young. The presence of nesting material complicates the cleaning procedure of a pet cage. When placed inside a wire cage, nesting material tends to collect the waste material from the enclosed animal forcing the animal owner to periodically extract the animal and thoroughly clean the interior of the cage. Nesting material must be periodically removed to hinder the spread of animal parasites and diseases. Removal of the nesting material and cleaning of the interior of a pet cage is a messy undertaking and presents a potential for injury of the animal or, potentially, the animal's owner.
Therefore, there exists a need for a system waste trays to facilitate the cleaning of a pet enclosure.